I open a toy & post it here... VOL 2!

[Team Jetfire]

676-2
Hasbro- Star Wars Black Series: Deluxe First Order Trooper



The Force Awakens had a few emotionally charged moments that still stick with me, however one of the lesser known ones featured a newly embolden Finn stand off against a nameless, Faceless First Order StormTrooper that had more characterization then all the StormTroopers in EP 4-6 combined with one venom filled line: TRAITOR! I mean, not only have we never seen the true face of a StormTrooper (like Finn) but also the emotion that comes with the lifelong indoctrination of the empire on these Troopers. And while I was OK with sequels being Rey’s story, I really feel like there was a missed opportunity to focus on Finn’s journey from being an ex Strom Trooper. The only reasoning that I can see for this was the inclusion of Poe to the story arc of the sequels thereby limiting what could be done with Finn in the long run. Maybe Disney will eventually revisit the character in another media source to expand a bit more on a much needed backstory, but time will tell.

Pros: I can’t even recall when and where I picked this up, but I’m glad I did. This deluxe First Order Strom Trooper is really what proto-version of this figure should have been in the first place. I mean the base StormTrooper is decent, but really top-notch with all the other accessories. I especially like the vest, shield and baton, but the cannon and binoculars are a nice touch too.

Cons: While I just said that Cannon was nice, the stands are frustratingly short and unstable.

[Team Jetfire]

677-2
Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Rocket Racoon and & Groot




It’s amazing what a few years can do to positively benefit a figure. Take Rocket as an example. The initial Groot BAF wave Rocket was basically a small figurine with limited movement and this new wave rocket is fully possible in a way that would make most old school Mcfarlane figures jealous. I suppose it comes at a cost given that this version of Rocket comes with less big stuff, but I almost prefer the 2 smaller pistols and expressive head sculpt as compared to that giant chest cannon thing.

Pros: I love this version of Rocket. He has an amazing detailed sculpt, a remarkable amount of articulation considering his size, a spare ‘yelling’ head and two hand guns that fit perfectly in his hands. Oh, baby Groot, as seen in GOTG Vol 2, is a great little touch too.

Cons: My only issue with the set is that Groot has a tough time standing on his own and I wish they took more time to mold him in a way to be steadier.

[Kdawq]

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[Team Jetfire]

678-2
Hasbro- Transformers R.E.D.: Arcee.



My first non- Generation 1 RED figure and I got to say that I’m not sure that Arcee, or any other Transformers Prime, was the best choice for this line given that I’m not sure the Robot mode is an improvement of what the Deluxe Arcee figure gave us already. I mean, the benefit of these figures as I saw it anyways, was cartoon accurate robot modes of G1 figures however given that Transformers Prime was such a recent show and the engineering had improved so much on the transforming sculpts that there is really no need to try and improve it. I suppose if R.E.D. Acree had superior articulation and really amazing accessories. I could give her a pass, but as is it looks like corners were cut with paint/plastic choices and including accessories that don’t make sense like a pair of trigger hands without an included gun to go in them. I’m still going to support this line given that it has yielded some good figures this far, but might pass on any new style figures.

Pros: For the right fan there is a lot to love about R.E.D. Arcee. The sculpt is solid and matches the Prime animated model pretty well, she has a good amount of articulation and can achieve a lot of cool poses and has plenty of accessories including some hand cannons, removable shiver blades and an Energon cube.

Cons: Overall for me, she’s just a bit meh as it seems like Hasbro decided to cheap out on some paint and plastic. Also, I think I have an actual transforming Arcee that has just a good robot mode.












Trigger fingers?

[Team Jetfire]

679-2
Hasbro- G.I. Joe Classified: Cobra Commander.



Whelp, time to open up a can of worms.

At the time of this writing there has been a sizable amount of controversy on the internet (surprise) surrounding the Joe franchise that has been equal parts eye opening and disappointing. Once I have a chance to watch the Snake Eyes movie I’ll share my thoughts, but will just say that I have no issue with the retcon on Snake Eyes’ origin. I mean, yes it would have been cool if we got an origin story based on the 80’s comic arc, but it’s literally 40 years later. I mean, were we really expecting a period piece movie? At any rate, as a Transformers fan, I’ve been through the depths of “childhood ruined” and I’m really just done with people complaining about toys, cartoons and expectations from corporations whose job is to make money.

The other “minor” blow up had to do with an online comment from a Super 7 designer which explained that the Hood design for Cobra Commander was off the table for Hasbro at this time. There was no other information given, or provided, but it didn’t stop many people, who were looking for political bent to this decision, to call foul on Hasbro for pandering to the woke crowd. Apparently the crowd who can sniff out “woke-ness” also were able to connect the dots as to why the hood was potentially axed, but still don't realize why it might represent an issue. I mean, if they can see why Hasbro might want to limit hood imagery in their toys (keeping in mind that this has not been confirmed by Hasbro) and still complain that Hasbro is being too sensitive, I have to think the issue is pretty clear. This is all not to mention that there was NEVER an issue with not having a hooded CC until there was a potential that we would not get one.

Pros: The hits just keep coming with the Classified series and I have to say that I’m here for it. I love basically everything about Cobra Commander: The updated sculpt is great, the articulation is perfect for some great poses and I love that they included a pointing finger as well as a “holding power “ hand. Lastly the snake themed sword and old school musket are perfect to complete the look.

Cons: I would have liked some hands that could have held both musket and sword at the same time.

[Team Jetfire]

[Team Jetfire]

680-2
DC Collectables- The New Batman Adventures: Harley Quinn.




There is a very good chance if I actually opened my figures in a timely manner that I would have seen a deterioration of quality and subsequent closure of DC Collectibles a lot sooner. In fact, you would have only needed to look back to Batman The Animated Series Harley Quinn (review 225-2 for those wondering) to see the decline. And while this version of Harley is not bad per-se, it’s just lacking; lacking in difference from the BTAS release, lacking in accessories (two hands and a head: that’s it!?!) and lacking in articulation with a key ankle joint missing. Looking back, I’m not even sure why I bought her to be honest.

Pros: The only good things I can note about Harley Quinn is that the sculpt is still pretty good and I really like the overly animated head sculpt.

Cons: I can’t help but feel ripped off by what is essentially a poor re-tool of the initial release. Missing articulation, limited accessories and not to mention a leg joint that looks like it might eventually come apart make this animated figure one of the worse I have opened to date.

[Team Jetfire]

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McFarlane Toys- Spawn: The Redeemer



ANother “special review” and this time it’s yet another McFarlane Toys figure, but with a bit more familiarity then the last. By that I mean, McFarlane is going back to their roots and releasing figures from the series that started it all for Todd McFarlane: Spawn. Sure, there has been some SPawn buzz as of late with the Mortal Kombat Spawn that was released a few years back (REview forthcoming) and of course the (frustratingly) popular kickstarter figure that came out last year, but this is a step further and something that they have not done in a VERY long time. And while it seems like a no-brainer now, I feel like there may have been some questions as to whether Spawn was still a viable franchise. Sure it always continued in comic form, but outside of an issue here and there, Spawn was out of the pop culture discussion. Thankfully for us, trends are cyclical and it would be only a matter of time until we saw the franchise reborn. Now that being said, I’m not a Spawn super fan, but being a Comic and Toy fan in the 90’s it was really hard to escape. I gravitated to other less than evergreen Image franchises like “The Maxx”, but as the saying goes “a rising tide lifts all boats” and McFarlane toys was just that: A rising tide. Not only was McFarlane Toys producing figures for a lot of the other IMAGE brands, they also quite literally changed the Action Figure game entirely. So much so that if I was a younger and more competent man, I would either write a book or make a documentary about their impact as I think it’s a story worth telling.

Pros: LIke the package says on the upper right hand corner, this is not a toy, it is a fricken work of art and for $30 no less. I have very little ties to the Redeemer character, but knew I would pick him up when I had the chance given how beautiful it looked in the pictures and let me tell you, it does not disappoint in real life. The sculpt is just unreal and has so much detail throughout. And those wings!?! I don;t know who the sculpture was, but kudos to them for such intricate work. Accessories wise are standard with a big old sword and of course the figure boasts 2 points of articulation via McFarlans typical design scheme. I’ve said it before, but the fact that this figure is the same price as a Hasbro Marvel Legend repaint does not get brought up enough.

Cons: The figure is huge and has difficulty standing with those amazing angel wings so a flight stand would have been a nice touch, but again for $30 I am not complaining: I’ll make my own.

[Team Jetfire]

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Hasbro- Marvel Legends: Spiderman- Black Suit.



Symbiote or not, I have ALWAYS loved the black suit Spiderman look. In fact, I’ve loved the look so much I even bought a t-shirt on the streets of New Your City that had the iconic look of his big white eyes along the chest of a black shirt. In fact, I was really excited when I came across a t-shirt vendor with multiple comic and geeky styles and probably didn’t think it through properly. Why think it through? Well turns out Spiderman’s eyes can look an awful lot like two tear drop shapes not unlike the top of a bikini, even more so when they were silk screened on a shirt at about boob level. Yeah, it took me a while to understand why people were looking at me funny, but when I realized I was basically wearing a black shirt with a white bikini print on it, I understood why the shirt was only $5. If I can find a pic, I’ll include it here:



Pros: I mean, what is not to like, it’s a super possible Spiderman that is painted black; pretty well get what you pay for on this guy.

Cons: Honestly I’m underwhelmed with what Hasbro released on a figure that should have been amazing. I base figure is fine (despite a hip joint that feels like it’s going to come apart at the seam) but it’s just that a figure of this magnitude and importance should come with multiple hands, some web effects and an symbiote unmasked head, but as is normal Hasbro just phones it in.

[Team Jetfire]